Aluminum-uranium fuel-melt behavior during severe nuclear reactor accidents
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Westinghouse Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (United States)
- Fauske and Associates, Burr Ridge, IL (United States)
The behavior of aluminum-uranium alloy nuclear reactor fuels in severe melting accidents is assessed. The results from several in-pile overheating incidents and from several experimental tests are used to derive conclusions regarding melt behavior and fission-product release in severe reactor accidents. These assessments indicate three distinct stages of fuel failure, which are described in detail. Experimental results that illustrate the foaming behavior of irradiated metallic fuels are also presented. These data describe the importance of the oxide film on the surface of the molten fuel in determining the fuel relocation behavior. The foaming and swelling of the fuel also are shown to correlate with the fission-product release phenomena. 59 refs., 1 tab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-76ID01570; AC09-89SR18035
- OSTI ID:
- 6989880
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Safety; (United States), Vol. 34:2; ISSN 0029-5604
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
MELTING
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
EVALUATION
URANIUM ALLOYS
BLISTERS
CALIFORNIUM
CERMETS
CLADDING
FILMS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FOAMS
FUEL ELEMENT FAILURE
IODINE
OXIDES
SPERT-1 REACTOR
TREAT REACTOR
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ACTINIDES
AIR COOLED REACTORS
ALLOYS
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DEPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HALOGENS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
MATERIALS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SOLID HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
SURFACE COATING
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220300* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Fuel Elements
220502 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Environmental Aspects- Radioactive Effluents
220900 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
360103 - Metals & Alloys- Mechanical Properties
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties